Megatherium
Megatherium Americanum is one of the larger mammals on the island. This is most shocking because it is essentially a giant sloth... if you crossbred it with an elephant and a bear! The megatherium is a giant terrestrial sloth related to the extinct Megatherium, but is even larger. Weighing in at up to eight tons, these sloths are the largest of South America’s mammalian fauna, outsized by only the most massive of dinosaurs. This beast is not one to be trifled with. Breed: Megatherium Full Name: Megatherium Americanum Islensis Zekensis Native Home: North America Time Period: ''' Late pleistocene epoch, Holocene epoch '''Lifespan: 40 years IUCN Status: Critically Endangered Population: Originally 17, now 50 Top Speed: they can walk at a around 5 mph Ecological Niche: large herbivore Average Height: 12 feet Average Length: 20 feet Average Weight: ''' 8,800 Ibs '''Home World: '''Earth '''Social Behaviors: Solitary Date Of Extinction: '''10,000 B.C.E '''Date Of Rebirth: '''2022 A.C.E '''Vocalization: roars, bellows, grunts And snorts Diet: Omnivore; the ground sloth is not fussy, consuming leaves, young branches, and flowering plants. The ground sloth supplements its plant-based diet with a small amount of meat now and again from kills made by other animals such as Smilodon. They also like berries and fruits, including the avocado. most of their time spent browsing from trees, hooking down branches with their clawed forearms and pulling them within range of the mouth. Indiscriminate eaters, these strong-jawed sloths feed on leaves, small branches, roots and tubers, grasses, fruit, and carrion either scavenged or stolen from smaller carnivores. Range: they are extinct everywhere on the planet except for a large island in the middle of Pacific Ocean. Natural Habitat: During summer they mainly found in colder regions like the mountains and highlands. But during winter they go the lowlands. Megatherium used to inhabited woodland and grassland environments of the lightly wooded areas of South America where it was an endemic species, as recently as 10,000 years ago. Megatherium was adapted to temperate, arid or semiarid open habitats. They can be found in Great Meadow Valley, the highlands of heaven, and the garden of Eden. 'DNA interpolation: '(89%) Pure megatherium DNA (10.1%) Zeke Jones DNA. '''Predators: '''This behemoth towers over most creatures on the island, and does not seem to fear anything but the Tyrannosaurus but Young or sick sloths were probably at risk from attacks by almost every carnivore from large swarms of compies to Carnotaurus but as long as they have the protection from the herd they will make it. '''Diseases: '''they are are very Susceptible to the common cold Virus, Hookworms, Tuberculosis, Bumblefoot, Algae Poisoning, E. Coli, Ammonia Poisoning, Rabies, Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium, Mycotoxins, Bracken Fern Poisoning and Ticks. '''Breeding Behaviors: '''spring, Key information like gender and health are conveyed through hormones in the animals’ dung, which is stored in massive quantities in their caves. Sloths of either gender may go looking for a mate when “in the mood”, tracking potential mates by the pungent scent of their latrines; once found, the interested party makes its intentions known and then samples a bit of the latrine to determine their mate’s status. If satisfactory, the two sloths engage in a clumsy mating session, and if unsatisfactory, the interested party simply leaves to find a more suitable mate. An impregnated megatherium will gestate for eight months before birthing a dog-sized bundle of fur that she’ll raise for the next three years. Mother megatherium are extremely protective of their young and should never be approached. '''Summary: '''megatherium are best described as “walking compost heaps”. They’re dirty, smelly, and their shaggy fur is often caked in muck and other unmentionables. The sloth’s bones are massive to support its bulk and are driven by huge muscles that can propel this heavy beast at human jogging speed. Megalotheres move mostly on all fours, knuckle-walking like giant anteaters, but they can also dawdle along on two legs for short distances; most of their time spent upright is when they’re browsing from trees, hooking down branches with their clawed forearms and pulling them within range of the mouth. Indiscriminate eaters, these strong-jawed sloths feed on leaves, small branches, roots and tubers, grasses, fruit, and carrion either scavenged or stolen from smaller carnivores. Like most sloths, the megatherium is a solitary and antisocial animal. They spend most of their day in the lowlands and forests, browsing sedately until they get full and head back up into the hills to sleep. Megatherium occupy caves for most of their adult lives and often hibernate through harsher seasons. The back chambers of many formerly occupied caves show signs of being used as latrines. Giant sloths are reportedly good swimmers and can ford deep bodies of water when they need to; in testament to this rarely-observed skill, the fur of individuals living along coastlines is often caked in sea salt. Megatherium living near animal migration routes make it their business to investigate the manure left behind and, more often than not, consume sloppy handfuls of it. The giant sloth has a keen sense of smell that lets it home in on others of its kind during the spring mating season. megatherium have been known destroy outhouses in search of feces to supplement their mineral intake. They are normally inoffensive but can turn deadly should they be harassed or attacked; giant sloths have the strength to toss cars and pick-like claws sturdy enough to puncture concrete, while their skin is interlaced with bony nodules that act like chainmail and can even deflect gunfire. Few predators dare attack them, and those that do are often killed and eaten by the megalotherium in return. Raw megalotherium meat is tough and mildly toxic due to the animal’s eating habits, although it can be rendered safe if cut up and cooked until it blackens. This so-called “sloth jerky” was going to be a snack sold every, and it has recently seen its first sales outside of South America But since the ban on going to the island it discontinued. Megatherium is a species of giant ground sloth, related to the small, three-toed and two-toed sloths already found in the rainforests of Costa Rica and the surrounding islands. Underneath its long, shaggy fur, Megatherium's skin is covered with small, bony plates which serve as chain mail against the teeth and claws of its predators. Megatherium is a slow-moving animal which primarily walks on all fours, but it is capable of walking upright on the sides of its feet for short periods of time. It tends to rear up onto its hind legs in order to reach higher branches using its sturdy tail to prop itself up. It will also rear up in order to display its fearsome claws when confronting predators such as Smilodon. Megatherium uses its powerful arms and large, curved claws to pull down branches down towards its mouth, but the claws are also the animal's main weapon. A single swipe can potentially kill smaller predators instantly. Megatherium often makes its home within the caverns of the Forested Uplands.